Effects of social conditions on Juvenile Hormone mediated reproductive development in Bombus terrestris workers

Abstract. During the annual life cycle of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris (L.) colony, there is a stage characterized by worker reproduction in the presence of the queen. It has been proposed that this is a result of a decrease in queen inhibition. This hypothesis was examined by studying the effects of queens taken from colonies at different stages of development on several aspects of worker physiology and behaviour: rates of Juvenile Hormone (JH) release in vitro , ovary development, and behaviour associated with reproduction. After optimizing and validating the radiochemical assay for JH release for bumble bee workers, we found that queenless workers had significantly more developed ovaries and higher rates of release of JH than did queenright workers, confirming and extending previous findings that suggest that bumblebee ovarian development is under JH control. Mated queens, separated from their colony and brood, can have the same inhibitory effect on the reproductive development of callow workers. In contrast, workers confined with virgin queens or in queenless groups demonstrated a significantly higher rate of release of JH, overt aggression and threatening behaviours. However, there were no differences in rates of release of JH between workers confined in groups in the laboratory with queens taken from colonies either before or after the onset of worker reproduction. Furthermore, overt aggression and threatening behaviours were similar and low in both types of groups. These results gave no support to the hypothesis that a decrease in queen inhibition is associated with the onset of worker reproduction. We also show that young workers reared in colonies either before or after worker reproduction occurs, or in queenless colonies, all demonstrated similar, low rates of release of JH. These results suggest that older workers may inhibit the corpora allata of younger workers in queenless colonies.     

EFFECTS OF HELPER PROTEINS ENCODED BY p19 AND orf1-orf2 GENES ON Cyt1Aa PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN ACRYSTALLIFEROUS STRAIN OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS

A series of plasmids were constructed to examine the effects of p19 and orf1‐orf2 genes from Bacillus thuringiensis on Cyt1Aa synthesis and inclusion formation. The plasmids expressed the cyt1Aa gene along with either p19 or orf1‐orf2, or each of them coordinatively with p20 in the acrystalliferous strain of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis 4Q7. No effect on the expression of Cyt1Aa protein was found when P19 or Orf1‐Orf2 co‐expressed with Cyt1Aa. However, when including p20 gene, the constructs with p19 or orf1‐orf2 gene produced lower yield of Cyt1Aa proteins than without p19 or orf1‐orf2 gene. Electron microscopy observation and bioassay showed that P19 and Orf1‐Orf2 have no influence on the crystal size and toxicity of Cyt1Aa protein. It is presumed that P19 and Orf1‐Orf2 might have negative effects on Cyt1Aa synthesis in B. thuringiensis.     

RAPD分析─鉴定柑桔体细胞杂种的快速方法

本文利用改进的DNA提取方法,从Volkamer柠檬(Citrus volkameriana Ten. and Pasq.)和酸橙(C. aurantium L.)及其原生质体杂种植株的叶片中抽提总DNA,进行RAPD(Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA)分析。结果表明: 在随机选取的15种引物中,有10种可单独或与其它引物一道鉴定这一组合的体细胞杂种。与形态学性状观察、同工酶及ONA杂交分析等方法比较,RAPD分析是一种可在试管苗期即可直接、准确、快速鉴定柑桔体细胞杂种的方法。     

神经生长因子家族及其受体研究进展

过去几年在神经营养因子、受体和神经元细胞程序性死亡的研究领域中取得了几项引人注目的进展：（１）神经生长因子（ＮＧＦ）基因家族的其他一些成员包括脑源性神经营养因子（ＢＤＮＦ）、神经营养素－３（ＮＴ－３）、神经营养素－４（ＮＴ－４）、神经营养素－５（ＮＴ－５）的发现;（２）神经生长因子三维结构及功能和进化之关系的阐明;（３）定性了两种神经生长因子受体Ｐ７５＾ＮＧＦＲ和原癌基因ｐ１４０＾ｔｒｋＡ以及相关     

横断山蝗虫二新属二新种

在整理横断山综合考察队所采集的部分蝗虫标本时发现二新属。 模式标本存放在中国科学院动物研究所。 珂蝗属 Anepipodisma新属 体形中等大小,具粗刻点。头短于前胸背板。头顶低凹,侧隆线明显。复眼间头顶的宽度大于触角间颜面隆起的宽。颜面略倾斜,颜面隆起几乎全长明显,具纵沟,此纵沟向上延伸至头顶的端部,形成凹口(图1)。复眼长卵形。触角细长,到达或超过前胸背板的     

家白蚁的生物学和群体发育

家白蚁Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki的生物学和初建群体的经过,显示有如下特性:(1)在广州室温条件下,成虫配对后5至10天开始产卵,产卵盛期集中在6天至7天。当年产卵期有5个月,每头雌虫平均产卵约为46粒。雌里产卵后,如果不断将卵取走,产卵量显著提高。这时,每头雌虫平均可产卵约96粒。(2)家白蚁卵要经过成虫或工蚁用口舐触和搬动卵粒才能孵化。孵化期在室温下为31至35天,32至33天为孵化高峰期。卵的孵化期随温度而变化。(3)初步测定幼蚁共有6个龄期。1—2龄幼蚁不活跃,要靠成虫或工蚁喂养,3龄后幼蚁非常活跃并能自己取食。4龄期间出现工蚁和兵蚁的分化,拟工蚁可以产生短翅补充型。(4)蚁巢成片叶状,由成虫唾液与食物及沙土等基质组成。配对后80天腔室内开始出现巢架。(5)家白蚁生活史漫长,需8年才能完成一个周期。     

用飞机喷洒有机磷超低容量制剂防治蝗虫

本文总结了1975—1980年在新疆巴里坤草原等地区进行的笼内药剂品种筛选试验、地面和飞机超低容量喷雾治蝗试验。结果表明:马拉松、马拉松与敌敌畏混剂、乐果、稻丰散和乙基稻丰散5种飞机超低容量制剂均可取代六六六粉剂防治各种蝗虫。每亩喷洒量为100—150克;每亩有效药量:马拉松、马拉松与敌敌畏混剂为25—45克;乐果为20—30克;稻丰散和乙基稻丰散为25—40克,蝗虫死亡率在90%以上。 使用飞机超低容量制剂治蝗具有防效好,功效高,成本低和环境污染少等优点。目前已在新疆、内蒙、青海和辽宁等省(自治区)大面积应用。累计防治面积达一千一百万亩,深受牧区群众欢迎。     

大豆过氧化物酶在毕赤酵母中功能表达

【目的】大豆过氧化物酶(SBP)作用底物广泛、比活高、热稳定性好,使其在免疫检测、工业污染废水处理领域有着广泛的应用潜力。现有的生产方法主要是从大豆壳中提取,这种方法产量低,成本高,远不能满足于工业应用要求,本研究希望实现在毕赤酵母中高效表达有功能活性的大豆过氧化物酶。【方法】将大豆过氧化物酶基因以及C末端截短20个氨基酸的基因克隆pPIC-9K载体中,并在毕赤酵母X-33中诱导表达。同时还将糖基化位点的天冬酰胺突变成为谷氨酰胺,研究糖基化位点对表达的影响。【结果】全长SBP在毕赤酵母中表达是无活性的,只有截短的SBP△20在试管发酵的表达活力达23.5 U/mL,经过糖基化位点的突变表明130、144、185、197对酶活非常重要,不能突变;211和216位点去糖基化突变对酶活有所提高。【结论】经过发酵条件的优化,在5 L的发酵罐中发酵液上清最高酶活力达510 U/mL,是目前报道的最高水平。